COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

Diversity Statement

Achieving a Single Mission Through Diverse Perspectives
The Forest Service is made up of thousands of employees from very different backgrounds. But we're all working toward the same goals. For those of us in the Forest Service, diversity means much more than ethnicity, gender or culture. We believe that diverse perspectives help us solve problems more effectively. That's why we maintain an environment in which people from different backgrounds feel comfortable, and in which people feel free to express their opinions and share their viewpoints.

To help employees acclimate to life in the Forest Service, there are several employee affinity groups that give employees the opportunity to interact with others of similar backgrounds and viewpoints.

These and other initiatives support our organizational commitment to diversify the Forest Service and strengthen the diverse population of employees we already have. And the more diverse we are as an organization, the more effectively we can respond to the needs of the diverse publics we serve.

Opportunities

Diversity is Growing in the Forest Service
The Forest Service is one of the largest Federal employers of professionals who love the outdoors - with a diverse workforce that includes people with disabilities, women and minorities. It's no accident. Our diverse employee base is the result of more than a decade of work implementing outreach programs that help inform and recruit highly qualified diversity candidates. The Multicultural Workforce Strategic Initiatives are exciting programs that offer diverse prospects opportunities to explore a career with the Forest Service.

Multicultural Workforce Strategic Initiatives
Each year, the Multicultural Workforce Strategic Initiatives (MWSI) program offers a number of opportunities for giving top students with diverse backgrounds access to paid work experience with the Forest Service - as well as the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in natural resource careers. The Forest Service's network of MWSI liaisons connect with colleges, universities and communities nationwide to identify qualified and talented students for the Forest Service. Typically, those hired as MWSI participants are employed under the Forest Service's Pathways Program. Those who show particular potential for employment may be recruited to be "student trainees" under the Pathways Program. With the help of this student program, the MWSI liaisons help the Forest Service fill many of its new permanent, entry-level positions - offering the reward of a Forest Service career to highly-talented diverse candidates who are already trained and qualified to serve in duty stations across the country.

Affinity Groups

Interact with people who share more than your love of the outdoors.
Forest Service employees across the country have several employee affinity groups available to them, which makes our large organization feel a bit smaller to employees from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.